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Still looking for your autumn race? Head to the Lisbon Marathon on October 25, 2025

CL
By Clément Laborieux

Published on Thu, September 10, 2026

Updated on Thu, September 10, 2026

Still looking for your autumn race? Head to the Lisbon Marathon on October 25, 2025
© EDP Marathon de Lisbonne

Running is booming in 2025. The community is growing, but there is a downside: securing a bib for a major race can mean signing up a year in advance. That is a real headache for runners looking for their next goal. And yet Europe still has plenty of hidden gems, just a few hours from France, offering ideal conditions for a race this year: a fast course, flawless organisation, perfect weather, a festive atmosphere and postcard scenery. This year, Portugal is calling for an unforgettable sporting weekend at the Lisbon Marathon, starting on October 25. Marathons.com has everything you need to join the celebration.

Where and when?

The EDP Lisbon Marathon takes place on Saturday, October 25, 2025. The race starts at 8:00 a.m. in the coastal town of Cascais, 30 km from Lisbon, before finishing in grand style at Praça do Comércio, in the heart of the Portuguese capital. It is an ideal date for runners who trained all summer, or anyone simply looking to enjoy a sporting weekend in a unique setting.

Why the Lisbon Marathon is an instant favourite

A postcard-worthy course
Picture this: you set off from the charming town of Cascais with the Atlantic on your left, salty sea spray in the air and the golden morning light illuminating the white façades. The course then follows the Estoril coast before heading up the Tagus towards the historic heart of Lisbon. Along the way, you pass landmarks steeped in history, including São Julião da Barra Fort and the iconic Belém Tower, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The sea is never really out of sight. It accompanies every stride: the majestic Atlantic Ocean at the start, then the calmer waters of the Tagus estuary, known as the “Sea of Straw”, as the kilometres tick by.

Running is booming in 2025. The community is growing, but securing a bib for a major race can mean signing up a year in advance. Yet Europe still has hidden gems offering fast courses, flawless organisation, perfect weather, a festive atmosphere and postcard scenery. This year, Portugal is calling for an unforgettable weekend at the Lisbon Marathon.© EDP Lisbon Marathon
Running is booming in 2025. The community is growing, but securing a bib for a major race can mean signing up a year in advance. Yet Europe still has hidden gems offering fast courses, flawless organisation, perfect weather, a festive atmosphere and postcard scenery. This year, Portugal is calling for an unforgettable weekend at the Lisbon Marathon.© EDP Lisbon Marathon
Running is booming in 2025. The community is growing, but securing a bib for a major race can mean signing up a year in advance. Yet Europe still has hidden gems offering fast courses, flawless organisation, perfect weather, a festive atmosphere and postcard scenery. This year, Portugal is calling for an unforgettable weekend at the Lisbon Marathon.© EDP Lisbon Marathon
Running is booming in 2025. The community is growing, but securing a bib for a major race can mean signing up a year in advance. Yet Europe still has hidden gems offering fast courses, flawless organisation, perfect weather, a festive atmosphere and postcard scenery. This year, Portugal is calling for an unforgettable weekend at the Lisbon Marathon.
Running is booming in 2025. The community is growing, but securing a bib for a major race can mean signing up a year in advance. Yet Europe still has hidden gems offering fast courses, flawless organisation, perfect weather, a festive atmosphere and postcard scenery. This year, Portugal is calling for an unforgettable weekend at the Lisbon Marathon.© EDP Lisbon Marathon
Running is booming in 2025. The community is growing, but securing a bib for a major race can mean signing up a year in advance. Yet Europe still has hidden gems offering fast courses, flawless organisation, perfect weather, a festive atmosphere and postcard scenery. This year, Portugal is calling for an unforgettable weekend at the Lisbon Marathon.© EDP Lisbon Marathon

A perfect setting for a PB

Flat, fast and certified with a World Athletics Elite Label, the Lisbon Marathon is built for performance and delivers a first-class running experience. With just 106 m of elevation gain, it is one of the fastest courses in Europe. Expect long, straight stretches with few turns: the perfect layout for locking into marathon pace. Elite athletes turn up in force every year to post fast times. In 2022, Ethiopia’s Andualem Belay Shiferaw set the course record in a blistering 2:05:45. Last year, Wisley Kimeli and Rael Kinyara Nguriatukel delivered an impressive Kenyan double, winning the men’s and women’s races in 2:08:33 and 2:27:11 respectively.

A magical finish worth every ounce of effort

After 42 km of coastline and landmarks, the finale unfolds on the streets of Lisbon, with dense crowds driving runners towards the finish. You pass beneath the iconic Arch of Triumph before entering Praça do Comércio: a cobbled finishing stretch, grand architecture, views over the Tagus, and the roar of the crowd all around you, followed by a finisher’s medal around your neck. That final kilometre is pure magic for marathon lovers. In a dream setting, it rewards every ounce of effort it took to conquer the distance.

Race logistics designed around runners

✔ Free transport by train to the start (Carcavelos) on race day, on presentation of your bib (30-minute journey).
✔ Aid stations every 5 km.
✔ Pacers targeting 3:00, 3:30, 3:45, 4:00, 4:30 and 5:00.
✔ Visit the Sport Expo at the Lisbon Congress Centre on Thursday or Friday to collect your bib and soak up the race atmosphere.

Three race formats

  • Marathon (42.195 km): Saturday, October 25 at 8:00 a.m., starting in Cascais.

  • Half marathon: Sunday, October 26 at 9:20 a.m., starting from the Vasco da Gama Bridge, Europe’s longest bridge, normally reserved for cars.

  • Mini-marathon (8.5 km): also on Sunday, perfect for getting into road running.

Three reasons to head for Lisbon

➜ The setting : Run alongside the Atlantic and take in historic landmarks.
➜ The performance : A flat, fast course with World Athletics Elite Label certification.
➜ The experience : A weekend combining sport, culture and celebration in the heart of a European capital.

Running is booming in 2025. The community is growing, but securing a bib for a major race can mean signing up a year in advance. Yet Europe still has hidden gems offering fast courses, flawless organisation, perfect weather, a festive atmosphere and postcard scenery. This year, Portugal is calling for an unforgettable weekend at the Lisbon Marathon.
Running is booming in 2025. The community is growing, but securing a bib for a major race can mean signing up a year in advance. Yet Europe still has hidden gems offering fast courses, flawless organisation, perfect weather, a festive atmosphere and postcard scenery. This year, Portugal is calling for an unforgettable weekend at the Lisbon Marathon.© EDP Lisbon Marathon
Running is booming in 2025. The community is growing, but securing a bib for a major race can mean signing up a year in advance. Yet Europe still has hidden gems offering fast courses, flawless organisation, perfect weather, a festive atmosphere and postcard scenery. This year, Portugal is calling for an unforgettable weekend at the Lisbon Marathon.© EDP Lisbon Marathon
Running is booming in 2025. The community is growing, but securing a bib for a major race can mean signing up a year in advance. Yet Europe still has hidden gems offering fast courses, flawless organisation, perfect weather, a festive atmosphere and postcard scenery. This year, Portugal is calling for an unforgettable weekend at the Lisbon Marathon.

If you are still looking for your next autumn marathon challenge, do not wait too long: the last bibs are going fast. Sunshine, ocean, an iconic course and top-class organisation give the Portuguese capital everything it takes to deliver the ultimate running experience for passionate runners. Whether you are chasing a personal best or simply the joy of running, the date is set for Lisbon on October 25.

✔ Find all the race information and registration details